QUICK QUEEN OF PUDDINGS

Like Steamed Syrup Sponge and Nursery Pudding this is another
very old classic English dessert that has several variations. This is
the easiest – surprise, surprise – and if you want to make it in
advance, let the pudding cool down once the custard has been
baked at step 6; keep it in the fridge then let it stand at room
temperature for about half an hour before you top with the
meringue and finish it off in the oven.
1⁄2 lb (225 g) sponge cake
1 pint (600 ml) milk
2 dessertspoons of sugar
3–4 tablespoons of raspberry or apricot jam, or lemon curd
2 eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla extract
Butter
Method
1. Bring the milk to the boil in a saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Meanwhile separate the eggs and keep the whites covered in
the fridge for later. Beat the egg yolks together with the vanilla
extract in another cup or small bowl, and in a large bowl break
the sponge cake up into crumbs with your hands.
3. Butter a medium-sized oven dish all over and spread a fairly
thick layer of jam or lemon curd across the bottom.
4. As soon as the milk is hot enough – it doesn’t have to come
right up to the boil, but there should be bubbles, or a thin,
crinkly skin forming on the surface – pour it into the large
bowl with the cake crumbs and mix well.
5. Stand the bowl by an open window to cool for about 5
minutes; meanwhile preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 (180ºC).
6. As soon as the milk and sponge mixture has cooled down a
bit stir in the egg yolks and vanilla extract then pour the
custard into the oven dish and bake for 20–25 minutes until
just set. (When you take the custard out, turn the oven down
to its lowest setting.)
7. Allow the custard to cool for a few minutes.
8. Whisk the egg whites and half the sugar with an electric hand
whisk until the meringue is standing up in stiff peaks. Add the
rest of the sugar and gently fold it in with a metal spoon.
9. Spoon the meringue over the top of the custard, making sure
the surface is covered; fluff the meringue up with a blunt knife
or make swirls with a fork to make it look good. (Or pipe the
meringue on with a star-shaped nozzle.)
10. Bake the pudding in a very cool oven for about 45 minutes to
one hour until the meringue is crisp, dried out and very slightly
golden in places, and the custard has warmed through. Serve
with evaporated milk or single cream.